THEIR NATUBE AND EFFECTS. 39 



suspended, if only artificial respiration is continued. In 

 ordinary cases of cobra-poisoning the heart can gene- 

 rally be felt acting for a short time after respiration haa 

 stopped. Absorbed in the ordinary way, cobra-poison 

 appears to slightly nccelerate the heart's action, and it 

 also lessens the blood-pressure, at any rate for some 

 time. Sir Joseph Fayrer and Dr. Brunton have pro- 

 duced death by tetanizing the heart by injecting cobra- 

 poison into the circulation ; but this was done by 

 throwing the poison directly into a very large vessel, 

 as the carotid artery or jugular vein, in a small animal 

 — the guinea-pig. 



Cobra-poison also appears to have but little influence 

 on the temperature of the body. Sometimes a very 

 slight rise is to be noticed ; generally there is no 

 change, and even a slight fall has been observed. It is 

 probable, therefore, that it has little, if any, effect. The 

 following experiment will show this : — 



Experiment XI 11. 



A healthy pariah dog had a temperature of I02°'9 F. 

 in the rectum. The pulse was 81, and the respira- 

 tions 34. At 12.45 P.M. it was bitten by a vigorous 

 cobra. 



12.48 P.M. Lame in bitten leg, which is drawn up. 



1 P.M. Seems quite unaffiicted. 



1*10 P.M. Affected; staggers when it moves. 



1.15'P.M. Temperature in rectum 103°*1 F. 



